A conversation with Monika Sawyer, coach, educator and advisor. Monika empowers women to harness their innate gifts to create success, impact, and abundance.
Ready to tap into your inner wisdom and unleash your power to create abundance? Listen to this inspiring conversation with Monika Sawyer, intuitive life coach and healer. Monika's journey, from immigrating to the US from Poland to thriving in the high-tech world and now empowering women through coaching, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. This episode is a must-listen for any woman in midlife seeking to navigate career transitions, divorce, or other life challenges with grace and confidence. Discover how reconnecting with your essence, cultivating self-love, and embracing your intuition can unlock your potential and create a life of joy, purpose, and abundance.
In this episode, Monika shares her personal story of resilience and transformation, offering powerful insights into the importance of self-discovery, healing, and embracing your intuition. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of navigating a career change, the power of mindset and embodiment, and how to tap into your inner wisdom to create the life you desire. Discover how micro-shifts in perspective and a deep connection to your essence can unlock your potential and lead you to a life of greater purpose, joy, and abundance.
About Monika: Monika Sawyer is an intuitive life coach and healer with a diverse background in high-tech consulting and a deep passion for empowering women. Her own experiences with overcoming adversity, including a cancer diagnosis, have shaped her unique approach to healing and transformation. Monika's coaching combines practical strategies with intuitive guidance, helping women reconnect with their inner strength, cultivate self-love, and create lives of abundance in all areas.
Key Takeaways:
💡 Intuition and Empowerment: Learn how to tap into your intuition and unleash your inner power.
💡 Healing and Transformation: Discover the importance of self-love and compassion in the healing process.
💡 Reconnecting with Your Essence: Discover how to reconnect with your authentic self and live a life of purpose.
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Disclaimer: Please remember that the information shared on this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment or financial advice. It’s for informational purposes only. You should seek appropriate professional advice for your specific information.
Laura Rotter: [00:00:00] Do you ever feel like you're living someone else's life? Like you're going through the motions, but your soul is screaming for something more? That's exactly where Monica Sawyer found herself smack dab in the middle of a successful corporate career and a cancer diagnosis, most people would crumble. But Monica, she did something radical.
She ditched the nine to five grind and embraced her intuition, becoming an intuitive life coach and healer. Now she helps other women like you tap into their inner power to create lives of purpose and abundance. In this episode, Monica shares her journey revealing how she overcame not one, but two life altering challenges.
She'll give you practical strategies to reconnect with your intuition, ditch the self-doubt, and create a career and a life [00:01:00] you truly love. Listen and get ready to be inspired.Â
Narrator: Welcome to Making Change With Your Money, a podcast that highlights the stories and strategies of women who experienced a big life transition and overcame challenges as they redefined financial success for themselves.
Now here's your host, certified financial planner, Laura Rodder.Â
Laura Rotter: Welcome Monica to the Making Change With Your Money podcast. Thank you so much, Laura.Â
Monika Sawyer: I'mÂ
Laura Rotter: reallyÂ
Monika Sawyer: happy to be here today with you.Â
Laura Rotter: I'm looking forward to our conversation. We'll see where it takes us. Um, I will start, as I always do with the question, what was money like Monica in your family growing up?
Monika Sawyer: Um, I actually come from underprivileged fam. Um, I come from underprivileged family. Uh, my family immigrated from Poland to America between 85 and 91. [00:02:00] Um, so I have a little bit of a mixed experience and actually pretty hot issue right now in this country. Yes. Um, so we, um, it was pretty tough growing up in, in communist and communist Poland.
You're still kind of dealing with the, some of the post-war rebuild and starting up. And so that took actually more years than people realize where you think that war happens and you know, a few years later everything's fine. Now it takes decades. And then, um, I think its whole economical and political positioning of Poland wasn't as favorable.
So even that slow things down. So it was actually very tough for my family and were really tough for me, um, not actually having. Most simple things growing up, like functioning plumbing and bathroom and wow. Which we take for granted. Um, so that was very tough, having only cold water in the house. Uh, and imagine washing yourself every morning, uh, with ice cold [00:03:00] water.
Wow. Um, and so yeah, things change, you know, and, uh, coming here was definitely an opportunity for my family, um, to find, you know, to actually chase that American dream. What that was like. And that's really been very alive in me ever since coming here in 91 and just doing what I can and which was, you know, educating myself and, and taking my family to a whole new level and whole new level of economic wealth and that I was able to create myself.
Laura Rotter: Wow. That's an inspiring story. What was your English like when you came here, Monica?Â
Monika Sawyer: Um, I studied, uh, British English in Poland for a few years, so. Um, I would say, how do you do instead of, how are you? Um, and I was really confused why people had that look on my, on their faces because I didn't understand that there were differences between British English and American English.
No one really thought you [00:04:00] that. And, um, my, my vocabulary was really limited. So it took quite a few years for me to learn language, my English language more perfectly. I still have an accent. I, you might still hear me say things differently. Um, I forget words, so depending on the day that that is an experience.
But, um, it, it, that was a, that was actually a difficult journey. Very, very challenging. Especially when you think about, um, I was a teenager when I came here and I was expected. You know, to perform, to have good grades, to bring home a's like, there was no other grade than my family, than having the best grade.
Um, and then you go to school and you completely don't understand anything that's being said to you. You kind of know what they're talking about because you know the material. Um, I, you know, I feel like the education system, even in Communist Bond was pretty advanced. So we studied really. A lot of different things that I didn't touch until later in high school.
So at least I [00:05:00] have a little bit of an advantage of, of the level of, of what I've known, but then I couldn't really express it, you know, very English as was in literature was really hard. Um, but you know, I've managed that made me more resilient and that's, I, I think what matters at the end of the day.Â
Laura Rotter: Yes.
So very, very true. And it sounds like you had what I would call the typical, um. Immigrant experience and children's of immigrant experience, that there's high expectations put on you, certainly academically as you described. Absolutely. Were your parents professionals, um. What was their level of education as they came to the States and what were they able to do professionally?
Just to give me a sense of what the household was like when you were a teenager.Â
Monika Sawyer: Um, my parents had more of a vocational jobs. Um, and I, I would call them, they were entrepreneurs when they, [00:06:00] when they came here. Oh, I love that. Yeah. So, you know, more service jobs. Um, they started working for somebody else and then they would start their own businesses, and I think that's a.
Very inspiring story about many immigrants that, you know, they might start off in one way, but then they quickly, um, understand the potential of what they can create and having their own business is the way to go. So I actually always was very inspired by that. Like you did not speak any English. I was the one that translated, I handled your.
Business problems. I was the grownup in the family even though I was, you know, 14. 'cause I still understood more English than they did. And they already were trying to create, you know, and hire people and have their own businesses and kind of keep things going and growing for themselves because. They, they saw that there's so much opportunity here and they knew how to like tap into that.
And maybe it was also a matter of, okay, I can either work for somebody or a better choice is to start my own business. And I had enough [00:07:00] courage to step into that calling. I did that and I didn't do that until my forties and, you know, having a lot more. Business acumen experience. So I just, I just really wanna give a lot of, and a lot of people in my immediate circle are like that.
You know, they say, most people say we didn't know what it was like, we didn't know any other paths. So that's what they did. But they made something great out of it. So a lot of my friends have very profitable and successful businesses and, you know, doing all kinds of different things. Um, you know, well now that I asked them if you would be able to change, you know, they're like, no, this is, this is kind of who I am and this is what I do.
Um, so that's, uh, that's been kind of who I've been surrounded with and growing up with.Â
Laura Rotter: I love that you've used the words courage and resilience. And so to be surrounded by people that have those characteristics is, [00:08:00] um. Certainly must have been a benefit to you. I also wanna recognize, as you said, you were almost forced to be mature, be beyond your years.
I, I taught a financial literacy course in, um, I think it was middle school in a story of Queens. And I remember how involved a lot of the students were because they were the ones. You know, helping their parents interpret bills and pay the checks and make phone calls on behalf of their parents. So really, you know, had I been teaching the same class, let's say where I live in Westchester County in New York, it, I'm sure it wouldn't have been received the same way, but there was a level of maturity that was demanded of, um, again, that, you know, children are first generation immigrants and it sounds like Monica, you.
You stepped up to that, that role and took it [00:09:00] on. So I'm curious how that influenced your path. Did you know, you know, what you wanted to be when you grew up, when you were in high school?Â
Monika Sawyer: I think I, I really struggled with that question for a very long time. Even starting, um, at the university, I studied at University of Illinois.
I was undecided for the longest time, and I finally like, okay, I gotta make a decision. I'm a sophomore. I have to choose something. Um, I, I, I've always had difficulties landing on something because I've felt that I was really talented in many areas, um, that I could have done a lot of things. Um, and I think they've made things much more difficult for me.
But I finally settled, so I've, I've, uh, went into what's called, um. Uh, information science degree, I think, um, manage, um, it's basically a degree that I can't remember, right, I can't remember right now, but it's easy [00:10:00] degree between technology and business. And that actually was a good call because I was graduating around year 2000, um, and that's when a lot of the technology skills were needed to help us get through Y 2K.
I don't know if, if the audience still remembers those days when we're afraid that, yeah. That the plans will stop working and we might not have power and you know, we didn't know what's gonna happen through the Y 2K. Um, cut over through that year. So I started, um, as a, I started in my professional world as a, as a tech technologist, as a developer actually.
Um, and that's kind of how I kind of kicked off. This was my kind of first days in consulting, um, being more of a technical person, um, application development person. Um, so that's what I did, but it had nothing to do with my past. It was just. It's just what was hot and you know, you kinda have to think about where things are going.
And I guess my internal voice led me to be where I [00:11:00] needed to be, even though I didn't know where that was taking me. Um, but, um, I think that was a good choice. It was a yes, fun, fun career and I've done a lot with it.Â
Laura Rotter: Um, I'm curious if. Again, English not being your first language. Was that what drew you also to technical as opposed to sort of language-based, um, work?
Or is it also something that in general you were drawn to?Â
Monika Sawyer: Um, I think, um, it was more kind of feeling where, where we were going. Like, if you fast forward now to 2025. Technology is definitely at the forefront of everything that we're doing. So it become really big and ingrained. So I almost feel like that calling to that career was in alignment to where the explosive growth can happen over the last, you know, 25 years.
Right. Um, so I think it was more of that [00:12:00] decision. Um, I did have also felt that I should have gotten into medicine. I really felt that that was something I would've been good at. And now thinking about being an intuitive coach and the healer really aligns very well with medical field because it really helps to connect the patient needs and where they're struggling and kind of bringing the mind, body, spirit connection and helping at the more intuitive level, but applying that to a job that was, um.
That was, um, one area that I thought was another potential that I didn't pursue because I didn't think I could learn the language, which of course wasn't true. It was the fear of speaking that stopped me from taking that path. But I was scared, like, I'm like, there's no way I can learn all those, all those, all those new words.
It was already so hard to get to where I was. But I think that that was one thing that if I could, I would've changed. I would've changed about myself. So. Oh, about my future if, if I had that opportunity.Â
Laura Rotter: Thanks for [00:13:00] sharing that. It, it, it does sound though, that it was important for you to go into a field that would be, um, how do I put this, give you financial security.
You were looking at what would have demand and Absolutely.Â
Monika Sawyer: Absolutely. Because I came in here and it, I remember the first shock. Everything was so big and beautiful. There were so many lights everywhere. I wanted a big house. I wanted, you know, a nice car. I wanted to live in a certain neighborhood. I wanted to get out of where I was.
There's nothing, you know, I'm not looking down on where I was. I just wanted something bigger and better for myself. I, I wanted, you know, a big house with four bathrooms and, and that's what was driving me, that I could do it. Um, that kind of finding that inner motivation. To figuring out a way with how do I apply my skills and like how do I break into this culture, into, you know, into a career, into, [00:14:00] into a way of being successful that, you know, that maybe a different path wouldn't give me an opportunity to.
Laura Rotter: I love that you're, sounds like you're a very directed young woman and you assessed your skills. What interested you and. You know, what you saw was in demand and you went after it. Uh, absolutely. Thank you. Did you, so 23 years is a long time. What did you enjoy about that time and what didn't you enjoy about that time?
Monika Sawyer: I think the first several years of my career were more. Sort of like you were asked to do this and you went and did that. You know, because where, when you're young, you typically just follow a certain career path and there's expectations. But as as time progress, I've kind of tapped into how to understanding that I got more opportunities of.
Just bringing more of my own ideas, my own passions, [00:15:00] and kind of looking ahead. So a lot of the roles, um, or some of the roles I had over the last 10 years were more focused on innovation. So really thinking about how we apply technology to today's problems. How do we solve, how do you leverage technology to help kind of humanity move forward in a new way?
So I've, I've definitely been on the forefront because this. This, this career path. I've been able to charter since about 2016, 17. Um, kind of doing a lot of new things, taking on projects that were the first kind of having you think it's, it was very courageous because most people don't take the projects that have high potential of failure.
But being, being able to, like, how do you operate around something that can fail and how do you make that success? Because it's, the learning wasn't necessarily always that. Um, that you have a successful rollout. It's more about what we have, we've learned from that [00:16:00] specific engagement. How do we need to shape how we move forward so then we become even more successful.
So it's that feedback loop becoming iterative. It not necessarily about becoming always a hundred percent successful and delivering to the plan, but being able to to work with it and with the challenges that are coming along the way when you actually are working on implementing new technologies for clients or for the company you're working for.
Um, so I really love that career that really jazz me up. Um, I just loved working with people and kind of getting in the world to understand what they're struggling with and how their businesses can, uh, be impacted by the use of technology. Um, so that's where the path of innovation. Um, I've had that career for a few years, um, you know, driving and defining new business models.
So thinking about. What can new, what is it that, what is new products or servers I can deliver? So that was great. So how do you bring new [00:17:00] vis, new business ideas to the table? Um, and kind of doing things like that, you know, imagining what does the next three years look like, right? The, the technology was evolving pretty quickly and a lot of large scale businesses are wanting to have a roadmap and a plan.
So how do we help define what that looks like and where do we see, and. And, you know, the, the change coming from. So that was certainly very exciting, very energizing career. Not always necessarily easy because nobody has the, you know, the magic gate bolt to know where things will go and how things will work out, but it's more like how do we navigate and how do we drive value for customers at the end of the day?
That really was, um. Kind of kept you engaged and kept you, um, having purpose and you know, and driving that purpose for someone else as well.
Laura Rotter: You are not the sum of your earnings. You are the sum of your earnings. If you are ready to use wealth to create more freedom and flexibility, let's align [00:18:00] your finances with what matters most.
Together we'll build a plan that balances your scarce resources of energy. Time and money. So you move forward with clarity, confidence, and less stress towards a life of true abundance. Learn more@trueabundanceadvisors.com and schedule a short conversation. Oh, I love it. And Monica, could you identify your skills?
Made you really suited for that role? Is it a level of creativity that's demanded or being a good listener or empathy? What, what do you see in yourself that IÂ
Monika Sawyer: think, um, back then, like even five years ago, very intuitive. So I would just really try to understand what people were looking for. It really comes down to that, that active listening, [00:19:00] asking good questions and putting yourselves in their shoes.
Like sometimes people come, would come in and think that, well, I need this technology or this platform, this solution. And it was more like, well, let's talk about what it is that you're actually trying to solve. Like what it is that, what is the problem you're facing? And you know, and like take it from that approach.
Like where's the breakdown? Where's the, you know, what are the issues? And then from there, when you understand what the problem is, you can actually. Probably come up with different types of solutions, and sometimes that was what they wanted was the right solution. But sometimes it's just by having conversation with somebody that can like open their perspective to like, well wait, like maybe there's a whole nother way to how I can solve this.
And, and then just finding a voice and, and like. Like if the idea and the path is completely different where they're at, so how do you communicate getting them on a different path? So that was maybe another challenge. I don't think [00:20:00] I was as good at it, um, back then as I am at it now. But just helping people see that maybe the path that they're taking is not the right one.
Is, is, is definitely a skill that I've developed over the years that was, is really needed in, in that profession.Â
Laura Rotter: Oh, I, I love that. And it so resonates frankly, with, with what I do, because somebody may call and say, oh, I just received an inheritance, so how do I invest it? And they think that, you know, that's the problem and that's the solution.
And it's developing relationship, learning about them, learning what's going on with their lives. There may be something entirely different that they need help with and an entirely and a, and a different solution that will help. And so I, I love the way you articulated that, and it was also a great segue, you know, as you name those skills for what you're doing now, but so how did that develop from, I guess, the time that you were transitioned [00:21:00] out of the work you were doing to what you're doing today?
Monika Sawyer: Yeah. So, um, last, no, two years ago, almost in 23, I've decided to pursue this coaching intuitive coaching career path. But the way that happened was sort of, um, life throwing me a curve ball. So I, I work with, uh, for large, uh, consulting company for 22 years, and then I. Then I decided to go work for startup.
Um, and because I wanted to try something different. I'm like, I've been at the big firm for a very long time, and even though I was always challenging myself and changing roles and doing different things, I, I still felt that there was a room for me to grow and, and so I just would develop, wanted to develop different scales, wanted to try different.
Um, different way of consulting. Um, and it was very different going from a big firm to small firm. Yeah. Um, I spent about a year there, but that role [00:22:00] didn't end up working out. Um, so I lost that job in 23 and then I was faced with that choice. What do I do next? And sitting with this and, you know, do I go back and do the same or.
Is there something else for me? So I went into that solve inquiry, um, and the answer kept coming, you know, into the coaching, coaching, coaching was the way to go. So I've decided to pursue that and went to get and gotten my certification. Um, and um, and that's kind of how this whole enterprises started.Â
Laura Rotter: So can you be more specific about who you work with and the kind of coaching you do?
I just, I, I, I'll give the background that I've, I interview quite a few people that self-identify as coaches, um, on this podcast. And of course everyone has a different personality, but more than that, there is really different. Kind of [00:23:00] coaching for C-suite executives for stay at home moms, developing a business.
I mean, there's a whole range of, um, demographics and psychographics a coach might work with. So who do you work with?Â
Monika Sawyer: Yeah, great question. Um, so initially I started thinking that I'll just do what I used to do. It's just, you know, my audience now becomes. The my friends or my clients or that demographic.
So just, you know, just go in and do career coaching. Right. So that was my initial plan and I, and after taking some classes, and this is, this is a funny story 'cause I'll just show you evolution of a path of a new path because I think, um, okay, so let me just continue with the story and then there is moral to the story.
And then as I started getting into it, I started to understand the complexity of human mind and human condition, you know, that we call our life and [00:24:00] everything that starts to evolve around how we live, how we, what choices we make, you know, our complex, you know, family systems and children and work and, and.
So the deeper I got into it, the more, the more I started to realize that, um, there's just a lot more to it. And, and what really drives everything at the end of the day is the kind of person that we are. So, you know, whether you take the hat and, and you are a C-level executive, whether put on the hat of a dad or a mom, all comes down to the core, just the person.
So, you know, I kind of, kind of taken that. Transition of like, well it could be executive coaching to maybe I'll just focus on the person just being a life coach and just being a healer because it's our human condition and limitation of who we are as people that makes or breaks us, you know, in the boardroom, in our life, in anything that we do.
So it just [00:25:00] comes down to, I just wanna make everybody be a better person. Um, and that really. That really started to kind of evolve a well better person than what is that like? Yeah. You know, so a lot of it is about really healing. So it's about overcoming what, who we think we are and really reaching deeper for our hitting strengths and powers that we didn't know we even have.
And, and that's, um, that really opened us up to pursuing new things in life too. Taking more bolder risk into areas that we haven't done because we always were stuck and like, well, I don't know if it's for me or, I don't know, maybe not. Like, you know, fear usually stops us from taking those bigger steps.
Um, so there's that, I guess the evolution of, you know, where you're starting a career and kind of what you're learning about yourself through the process and even discovering what your own gifts are. Um, and that's doesn't always happen [00:26:00] overnight. I was. Before in a job that required me to be a good advisor, provide, you know, good advice to somebody telling somebody what to do, and all of a sudden I have to sit back and just listen.
So I need to enable good listening skills. I mean, I think I've had them, but, but better way to ask questions and what are, and when you get into very personal conversation. Asking deeper and deeper question is usually what leads to more insights for, for somebody to really see themselves so they can make changes in their life.
So asking question became asking better question became kind of the, the, the over the really overarching thing that I needed to do to become really good at, and, and doing that with myself and doing this with where I take my conversations with clients, uh, as I, as I build my business.Â
Laura Rotter: So I'm glad that you mentioned doing it with yourself, Monica, because what came up for me [00:27:00] as you were speaking about, you know, and using, I guess a big word, healing, um, that often we choose to teach what we ourselves need to learn.
So I'm wondering if there's a specific catalyst that. That drew you to more of a healing definition of what you're doing as a coach.Â
Monika Sawyer: So healing is all about bringing the power of self-love and compassion as the driving force that underlines the connection that's made with someone. So whether somebody brings in and wants to talk about, um.
Where do I take my business to the next level? Why am I so indecisive, let's say about my business? I just had that session last week. Uh, why am I so critical myself about the progress I'm making in my business or somebody bringing in, I'm really feeling [00:28:00] anxious in certain social situations. Um. I walk in, I wanna feel confident, and if something happens and I feel small and then disempowered.
So, um, I guess what I'm trying to get at is the healing. Is this, this superpower that helps to. Get people in stock in those like very small little areas, very, the thought patterns, the emotions that they feeling, the, the state that they're in, it really helps to unlock and bring kind of like, I, I wanna say a hug, like embrace because it always feels like I gotta embrace that place where someone's feeling, um, uncertain how they're moving forward or stopped or blocked.
So it's almost like that embrace that allows that to just open up and just, they are able to see themselves in a whole new way and shift those places. The mindset, the [00:29:00] emotions that keeps them, um, from growing where they wanna go into a new place and they can embody a feeling in that process that, wow, it really feels like I can like walk into that room empowered and strong.
So I wanna, I usually bring, like help them bring those emotions and healing is the way of how we actually go about doing that. 'cause there isn't anything that, we talk about it a little bit, but it's more of that journey within ourselves to just kind of start unblocking. So then you can start feeling the things you want to have in your life.
And then when you feel it, you can really go and do it. And, and that's really the secret because. Convincing yourself is kind of the harder way and more difficult. Yeah. But when you're like, I feel like I can do this, then like nothing can stop you in your life.Â
Laura Rotter: And so to pursue the last question I asked a a little bit more, Monica, how did you experience this own [00:30:00] healing in your own life?
Monika Sawyer: So, um, part of my story is actually dealing with cancer diagnosis. Um, and I think part of my own awakening and understanding some of these dynamics and patterns really comes from that experience that I had myself. And I took on this very challenging path of trying to figure out how to heal cancer myself.
How to trigger, how to initiate spontaneous remission. And, you know, with some success, partial success in the beginning, but much better success last year. You know, it really took that way of being with myself to understand what it's like to sit with the diagnosis, sit with the, you know, what is the, the step into, into treatments and understanding kind of mind body connection that, um.
[00:31:00] So like really going deeper beyond like, like why I have cancer, what, what is it I can do as a person that's outside of just a normal medical treatment to help myself get on a healthier path? I guess that's probably the best way to describe it, and really allowing myself to go into that very scary journey.
That just, you know, to discover, like discover many different ways of like how we can heal and help and help our body bring different states that actually can bring in more spontaneous healing outside of just the regular treatment. Because now what I see with that process is really similar. Like I just helped someone last year with their arthritis.
And like she's went from not being able to sleep and having really difficult time and being in a lot of discomfort to actually feeling comfortable and manage, being able to manage it, her situation. So I [00:32:00] don't think that what I'm doing is just specific to cancer when I think I'm doing is specific to how do we actually allow our own body's ability?
How do we bring that ability of healing? To actually help ourselves to do, you know, and help our body do its job that it actually knows how to do.Â
Laura Rotter: Uh, so, uh, so you're talking both physical healing as well as emotional healing? Exactly, exactly. Combination. So Monica, if somebody's listening to this and, and is intrigued how, how do you work with people?
Is it, um. Se a, a, a package of sessions, is it? How exactly do you structure your work with others?Â
Monika Sawyer: I do a package of sessions because I don't think anyone can make huge change in just one session, but I think in three session people usually see, uh, progress. Certainly one session is always an option, and it's a good way to get to know [00:33:00] one another, which I always offer.
Um, every session anyway. Um, because I, I, I understand I might not be for everybody. Um, and it's, there's always that getting to know you and getting to know one another's kind of what ticks us, right? What makes us work and what makes us. Um, I guess, you know what, what makes us go in life? Like, I, I, there's a word for it.
I'm just, it's just slipping my mind right now. What makes you tick? What makes you tick? Right? But usually, um, usually people stick around for a year. I think. Uh, they, we, we start small, but it's always, you know, it's, I think people see change happen. Um, the growth empowerment happening. At the end of the day, like any healing we're talking about is really about cultivating our inner strength and inner resolve, and doing that takes a little bit of time because it is a [00:34:00] bold and energetic and emotional change as well as a change of mindset.
So you have to practice that. Do you have to like. Commit yourself to making that change and then see how you do. Right. So that usually takes a little bit of time of, okay, I'm, I'm moving forward. But then there's, I'm discovering there's some something else and there's more that I actually haven't been able to see before.
And the journey kinda always unfolds and gets bigger and bigger. But then you get to grow and you become stronger, more empowered to handle yourself in a home way.Â
Laura Rotter: I love that. So as, as we're getting close to the end of our conversation, Monica, I always like to ask how has your definition of success shifted?
And we did say earlier that certainly when you were younger, success was going to be a four bedroom home and just living differently than the way you grew up and, and [00:35:00] were living in your parents' home. Um, how has that shifted for you?Â
Monika Sawyer: Yeah, I think exactly as you're positioning it, it's first started off with having certain financial success and having certain things.
Uh, but now when I'm looking at the second part of my life, you know, my kids are in college now, it's about, you know, finding maybe more happiness and joy, experiencing life to the fullest. It's doing things that fulfill you and make you happy. Um, and, you know, staying true and authentic to yourself and your purpose.
Um, I think that's, that's now what the new definition of success is,Â
Laura Rotter: and certainly it sounds like for yourself and that you. I, I was about to say, you have found, um, a calling that gives you a sense of purpose. It, I'm stopping myself because it sounds like even in your previous [00:36:00] career, you did feel a sense of purpose and that it was, um.
Taking advantage of your strengths, and then this is just a different kind of iteration of taking advantage as you put it, of your intuition, your empathy, and your active listening. Um, is there anything else before we close Monica, that you'd like to, uh, share with our listeners?Â
Monika Sawyer: I really appreciate the time to be here, and since this is podcast is about financial, uh, and you help people, uh, create financial abundance, um, there is this other area that I always, that we just didn't get the chance to talk to, uh, or speak about.
Really helping women to stay true to themselves because the power of creation and abundance is really a women's power. So just being able to really start recognizing that we are magnifying of wealth [00:37:00] and every woman that's out there is a creator, not just of children, but creator of, of just abundance in general, whatever she wants to do.
So I just wanna still, I wanna really encourage women to just stay true to their talents, to their intuition, to their inner wisdom, because women are incredibly intuitive. Uh, we follow our emotions, we understand within our body. Where the truth is, which path to take on. And I just wanna encourage women to keep doing that because it's always gonna take them to the place where they need to go and lead them out of the difficulty into being, you know, making life easier and living, living more fulfilled.
So that's the only thing I wanted to add.Â
Laura Rotter: Thank you for adding that. I'm assuming that that's always. The forefront of your mind. So as you're working with people, it's an intention that you are setting to help, to help them [00:38:00] recognize this, the strength within them, the abundance within them? Yes, absolutely.
It's,Â
Monika Sawyer: I want everybody to touch that power that they have and like feel it, because then they can really magnify it in their life.Â
Laura Rotter: Thank you very much, Monica, for being my guest and for taking the time for our Thank you very much.Â
Narrator: Thanks for listening to Making Change with your Money Certified financial planner, Laura Rodder specializes in helping people just like you organized, clarify, and invest their money.
In order to support a life of purpose and meaning, go to www.trueabundanceadvisors.com/workbook. For a free resource to help you on your journey. Disclaimer, please remember that the information shared by this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. It's for information purposes only.
You should [00:39:00] seek appropriate professional advice for your specific information.